Latvian transmission system operator JSC "Augstsprieguma tīkls" (AST) has received three financial offers for supply and installation of battery energy storage systems (BESS – Battery Energy Storage System) in  Tume and Rezekne substations. In accordance with the rules of the procurement procedure, the evaluation of the offers of systems important for the security of Latvia's energy supply and for ensuring the necessary balancing power after the synchronisation of the power grids of the Baltic states with the European power grids has been started.

The Baltic States will disconnect from the Russian energy system and synchronise with the continental European energy system in February 2025. Simultaneously it will bring fundamental changes in the management of the energy system, with the operators of the electricity transmission systems of the Baltic States introducing the ability to independently regulate a stable system frequency. To this end, the transmission system operators of the Baltic States will cooperate to introduce a new, integrated market for balancing reserves in the European common market in 2025, and will begin to purchase and maintain several new types of both manually and automatically activated high-speed balancing reserves. BESS is one of the most important parts of the Baltic power grid synchronisation project with Europe, so that after synchronisation, when a large amount of renewable energy enters the network at the same time, it will be possible to ensure network balancing reserves, the stability of the electricity system and the security of power supply.

AST will purchase a battery system with a total output of 80 MW and a capacity of 160 MWh. The battery system will be placed in two locations - a 20MW/40MWh battery at the AST substation in Tume, and a 60MW/120MWh battery at the AST substation in Rēzekne. A modern battery system is expected to provide direct backup for high-speed and automatically activated frequency regulation reserves. Moreover, the battery system is able to provide these reserves at significantly lower costs than conventional power plants, which are currently the only ones that can offer such a service.

Proposals for installation of BESS systems were received from applicants such as SIA "Monum", Nidec ASI S.A. and Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH, whose financial offers ranged from EUR 79 to EUR 87 million. The supply and installation of BESS at the substation in Tume will be co-financed from the funds of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), while the supply and installation of the BESS at the Rēzekne substation will be financed from the funds of RePowerEU.

More information about the synchronization project is available here.

About Augstsprieguma tīkls AS

Augstsprieguma tīkls AS (AST) is an independent transmission system operator, which operates the electric power transmission network ensuring continuous, safe and sustainably efficient electric power supply in Latvia. AST’s vision is to become the region’s leading transmission system operator through driving development and innovation oriented changes. AST holds 68.46% of the shares of the natural gas transmission and storage system operator JSC Conexus Baltic Grid.

Additional information:

Liva Jegere

Head of Communications

T. +371 26151344

E-mail: liva.jegere@ast.lv